Thomas
said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the
way?”
Jesus
answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father
except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From
now on, you do know him and have seen him.”
Sometimes,
like today, it is very clear why we are led to a particular church. We visited
here a few years ago (before we began blogging) and my strongest memory was how
good the coffee was and how we were welcomed. With the welcoming presence today
was something unusual: a man named Bob remembered me because he recalled my
truck.
It
brought back memories of serving as a visitor greeter and being very bad at
remembering names, but I made notes about things I learned about our visitors.
They were things I could talk about when I saw them again, and when they
returned and I commented, there was never a question about whether I remembered
their name when I could comment on something personal.
There
is a large wooden cross, acoustic panels on the walls, and a good age mix of
worshipers.
The
sermon was delivered via video by Don Piper. His book “90 Minutes in Heaven”
was one of the books that helped when our son was killed. Don said he wrote the
book so he wouldn’t have to talk about it, and here he is talking about his
experience. He said your testimony might be just what someone needs to hear.
He
reassured the congregation that God still performs miracles…and he is one.
Some
time ago we felt called to write a book about how we lost our younger son and
maybe that is the testimony that someone needs to hear. I liked that he
referred to the death of a believer as a “temporary separation.”
There
was a backup singer whose lovely voice blended perfectly with the lead singer,
a very nice addition.
We
were blessed by numerous good conversations after the service.
Today’s
visit was a personal one for us. I would ascribe events from this past week to coincidence
if I believed in it, but I do not, so I interpreted those events as God’s
guidance. I’m glad I did…we were truly blessed by this visit.
I
learned that Don Piper, the author of “90 Minutes in Heaven,” was scheduled to
speak at this church this weekend. Bob had read the entire book, I was only
able to read part of it, but I truly wanted to hear what he had to say.
We
arrived very early and were greeted by many folks before, during, and after the
service. The coffee area was well stocked and part of the area was devoted to a
café. The walls in this section were decorated with posters from some of the
sermon series; they made me want to listen to some of them online. It felt
welcoming, just like the atmosphere.
The
restrooms were down one hallway, and the signage for them was outstanding… literally…
signs bearing arrows, hanging from the ceiling and pointing in the direction of
the room. However I could only see them if I was looking down that hallway as
there was no directional signage elsewhere.
The
sanctuary chairs were comfortable and we could see just fine from the very back
row, which changed when more chairs were added behind us to accommodate additional
worshipers as they arrived.
We
were prepared for music requiring earplugs, but didn’t need them after all. The
music was contemporary and well done.
Don
Piper spoke from the church’s North Fayette campus and was videocast (not sure
if that’s a word, but it accurately describes what was accomplished) to the
Bridgeville, East Liberty, and Cranberry campuses.
He
detailed the accident 25 years ago that led to his death including pictures of
the unbelievable condition of his vehicle, photos which left no doubt about the
accuracy of the label “miracle.” He told how a single pastor prayed for him (at
God’s direction), and the request for prayer spread like wildfire across the
country. Because of these facts he believes in two things: the power of prayer and
that God still performs miracles because, as he pointed out, he is one.
He
was also quick to declare that he is a survivor but his wife is an overcomer.
He
gave details about his time in heaven, and made several interesting
observations about people he saw in his brief time there. He noted that
everyone he saw was someone he had known on earth, someone who had helped him
on his faith journey, and who was ready to go, i.e., a believer. He asked those
watching to think about who will greet us when we arrive, but even more so, whom
will we greet? Who will we have helped get to heaven during our life? He
reminded that that is why we are still here, to help others get to heaven. His
question: “What do you have to show for your time here?”
He
said people often ask if their loved ones in heaven miss them. He said, “In
heaven they don’t miss you, they expect you. They’re waiting for you, and you
won’t be able to sneak in. They know when you’re coming.”
The
bottom line of his message was that “Jesus went to prepare the place, and we
must be prepared to go there.”
Toward
the beginning he told about a woman who asked him to sign a rather worn copy of
his book. He signed, saying nothing about the condition of the book, after
which the woman explained that the book belonged to her late daughter who was a
believer. Following her daughter’s death the book was given to her and, after
reading it, she accepted Jesus into her heart. I only heard the first part of
what he said to her: “I’m sorry for your temporary separation.”
As
I said, this was a personal visit, and as the mother of a son from whom I am
temporarily separated, I was bowled over. These words perfectly express how I
feel when I think about my son, about the time since I last saw him, and how I
feel about waiting to be reunited with him. I thank God daily that the separation
is temporary, that my son is perfectly whole and healthy, never lonely or
afraid. In Christ I fully trust that the separation is indeed temporary, and my
heart overflows with gratitude.
Father, we pray this church will feel the call to offer their testimonies that You might be glorified. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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